Best wishes and welcome to the official website of the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu and the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sabah . Our Royal Family with our four sons and two daughters namely HRH Prince Ezzarhaddon A. Kiram -- Crown Prince of Sabah (Prince of Kota Kinabalu), HRH Prince Al-Mezzheer A. Kiram -- Crown Prince of Sulu (Prince of Jolo), HRH Prince Fuad A. Kiram -- Prince of Sandakan, HRH Prince Mohammad Ismail A. Kiram -- Prince of Maimbung, with HRH Princess Leila Mae Kiram and HRH Princess Maryam Jaya Kiram, offer you also their warm greetings.

Law of Succession of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah

We have fulfilled the Law of Succession of the Royal House of Sulu and Sabah (the Royal House of Kiram) when we were crowned on 3rd June 2006, as the 35th Sultan of Sulu and Sabah . There are three (3) sacred and vital provisions of this Law of Succession, i.e.:

1) That the most capable and most suitable among the male heirs and direct descendants (sons or grandsons) of HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I (Sultan of Sulu & Sabah 1947 to 1973) must ascend the throne, and;

2) That the Proclamation of the Royal Datus and the Sharifs (descendants of Prophet Mohammed) of Sulu and Sabah must be secured as to who is the Sultan among the male heirs and direct descendants of HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I (as members of the Royal Kiram blood line of succession), and;

3) That the successor must have at least five (5) ancestors who were consecutive Sultans of Sulu and Sabah.

Proclaimed by the Royal Datus, the Sharifs & the MNLF

We were proclaimed the 35th Sultan by the Royal Datus and the Sharifs of Sulu and Sabah and the Moro National Liberation (MNLF) the freedom fighter organization representing the people. We are the last surviving son of HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I, our beloved departed father, who wrote the power of attorney to recover Sabah from Malaysia in 1962 and 1969 in favor of the Republic of the Philippines, and our rights as lawful and legitimate landowners of Sabah remained intact and the same since 1658 up to this day.

Royal Kiram Sultans Great Ancestor

Our great forefather and ancestor HM Sultan Jamalul Kiram I (Sultan of Sulu and Sabah 1823 to 1844), was the first Kiram Sultan plus his son and grandchildren then my father together made seven (7) Kiram Sultans of Sulu and Sabah up to 1973, whereupon our late eldest brother HM Sultan Mahakuttah Abdulla Kiram became Sultan of Sulu and Sabah from 1974 to 1986.

Policy to Recover Sabah from Illegal Occupation of Malaysia

Our policy as Sabah landowners is to recover Sabah from the illegal occupation of Malaysia and to use the resources of Sabah with an annual gross domestic product of over US$100 billion to develop and assist our people in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Zamboanga and Palawan, to build schools, roads, drinking water supply systems, telecommunications, hospitals and medical health services, refuge for the orphans, widows, elderly, destitute and underprivileged. Sad to say, these services and infrastructures are non-existent in the dominions of the Sultanate of Sulu.

We urge Malaysia to pay the correct amount of rent based on the current market value of Sabah and/ or agree to a “joint administration” of Sabah and split the income derived between the Sultanate of Sulu and Malaysia .

This offer of joint administration or joint venture is also offered to all the Royal Sultans of the Federation of Malaysia to be the joint venture partners of the Sultanate of Sulu to resolve the Sabah issues.

Tausugs Seek Help of the United Nations & International Community to Protect Their Right as a Minority

Our grave concern and our beloved Tausug people now only numbering over 3 million scattered in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Palawan, Zamboanga peninsula and Sabah, that the Muslim Tausug people being a minority group in 90 million Philippine Christian dominated population, and we fear our centuries old arts and culture, our Tausug language, identity and values as a people, now being eroded may be lost forever to the Tausug future generations.

The Tausugs are the Indigenous People of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah

We and our Tausug people seek protection of the United Nations and the international community to protect our rights as a minority group in the Philippines .

This plea of protection to the United Nations has a precedent when the League of Nations in 1921 granted protection to Aland Soumi people in Finland to protect their own identity, arts and culture, customs and traditions and the Aland’s language.

Aland Soumi Autonomy/ Protectorate

Aland islands as an autonomy/ protectorate state though part of Finland has its own parliament, administration and own government providing services to its people, flag, national anthem, police force, army, accepts aid and foreign direct investments, issues passports to its citizens with Soumi Aland and Finland symbols and names in equal sizes. Aland’s official language is Swedish while the rest of Finland is Finnish.

Aland is a member of the Nordic Council (regional grouping of Nordic nations) and can veto any international agreement that will affect Aland and its people. The Aland’s parliament had to ratify the decision of Finland to join the European Union before Finland joined the EU.

Aland is an example of autonomy/ protectorate that works well for the Alanders and guarantees their rights as a minority under the League of Nations that became the United Nations.

Please browse and share our pride in our customs and traditions, our system of government that started since 1405 and existing to this day. Also, please note that the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah is an “Unconquered Kingdom” of warriors, brave and courageous, dedicated to the defense of their beloved kingdom, people and their customs and traditions that persisted for over 600 years.

ABOUT US

We are in the service of the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu and the Royal Hashemite Sultanate of Sabah under the benevolent auspices of HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, The Sultan of Sulu & The Sultan of Sabah, the 35th Sultan, after his late brother HM Sultan Mahakuttah Abdulla Kiram, 34th Sultan (Sultan of Sulu & Sabah 1974-1986), and his late father HM Sultan Muhammad E. Kiram I, 33rd Sultan (Sultan of Sulu & Sabah 1947-1973).

Our primary duty and concern are to present to the world the undeniable truth and facts about Sulu and Sabah . The Kingdom of Sulu was founded in 1405 but became the Sultanate of Sulu in 1457 while the Sultanate of Sabah, including Palawan, were annexed in 1658 as the gifts of the Sultan of Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu bestowing lawful ownership to the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu to this day.

Royal House of Sulu & Sabah and Royal House of Brunei , One Family that Fought Invasion of Spain for Centuries

The Royal House of Sulu and Sabah and the Royal House of Brunei are related by blood as one family. From 1521 to 1690, the Sultans of Sulu and Sultans of Brunei fought jointly the invasion and conquest of Spain in their dominions in Muslim Philippines .

Rajah Suleiman (raja muda, crown prince of Brunei and son of the Brunei Sultan), Muslim royal ruler of Manila with his Bruneian and Tausug warriors, defended valiantly the Manila invasion of Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1570 (first Spanish governor general) but Rajah/ Datu/ Pengiran Suleiman was heavily wounded and the Manila Muslim capital of Luzon fell to the superior firepower and cannons of de Legazpi.

Sultans of Sulu & Sabah Fought Spain Alone from 1690 to 1898

From 1691 to 1898, the Sultans of Sulu with his brave and courageous Tausug warriors fought singularly the Spanish conquest and invasion in the Philippines till Spain lost to the U.S.A. in the Spanish American War in Cuba in 1898.

The Unconquered Kingdom Signed Treaties as Sovereign & Powerful State

The Sultanate of Sulu is known to the world as the “Unconquered Kingdom” as it was never conquered by the Spaniards ever since they arrived in the Philippines in 1521 (up to their departure in 1898) and was never subjugated by the Japanese during their march in Asia in World War II, as Sulu is a kingdom of warriors, all consecrated in the defense of their beloved kingdom and their beloved Sultan.

The sovereign Kingdom of Sulu founded in 1405 was transformed into the Sultanate of Sulu in 1457 to this day. As proof of its sovereign status as a powerful Kingdom and Sultanate it signed treaties and was recognized by China in 1417, U.S.A. on 5th February 1842, France on 20th February 1845, U.S.A. again on 20th August 1899 entitled the Bates Treaty and also other treaties with Portugal, Great Britain and Spain.

The Americans occupied the Sultanate with disastrous consequences as a result of the 1898 Treaty of Paris as enumerated below:

Spain Fraudulently Included the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah in the 1898 Treaty of Paris

Spain unlawfully included the Sultanate of Sulu as part of the Philippines when Spain signed the 1898 Treaty of Paris, that was a treaty of surrender by Spain to the U.S.A., as Spain lost the Spanish American War in Cuba in 1898. Spain ceded/ sold its possessions of Cuba , Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines . Spain did not conquer and did not own the Sultanate of Sulu unlike the Philippines, so Spain had no right to sell it to the U.S.A. .

The Americans, misled by Spain and worried on the inclusion of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, compelled HM Sultan Haji Mohammad Jamalul Kiram II (Sultan 1893-1936, brother of the grandfather of Sultan Fuad I), to sign the Bates Treaty on 20th August 1899. The Bates Treaty was proof absolute that the 1898 Treaty of Paris was unlawful and questionable in relation to the Article ceding the Sultanate to the U.S.A. .

The 1899 Bates Treaty Guaranteed Sovereignty & Protection of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah by the Americans

The Bates Treaty stipulated the guaranteed and continued sovereignty and enshrined the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah as a United States Protectorate.

However, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt singularly abrogated and terminated the 1899 Bates Treaty on 2nd March 1904, without informing and without the consent of the Sultan of Sulu & Sabah, making the said termination of the U.S.A. null and void and not valid because, as per Law of Treaties and based on International Law, no one party can terminate a treaty without the knowledge and consent of the other party.

Therefore, based on the Law of Treaties under International Law, the 20th August 1899 Bates Treaty signed by the U.S.A. will show and point to the truth that the Hashemite Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah is still a sovereign state and a United States Protectorate today.

Sultan Fuad I respects the actual view of the international community of nations and the Philippine government that the sovereignty of Sulu archipelago and Sabah is vested to the Republic of the Philippines (without consent by the people of the Sultanate). However, due to historical facts and aforementioned legal evidence, he does not agree with this view and he and his committed supporters work for the full restoration of sovereignty of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah by peaceful means.

Sovereignty as we see it can be achieved by the Sultanate becoming a joint Philippine and U.S. Protectorate.

Malaysia Illegally Occupied Sabah From 1963 to This Day

Sabah and the island of Palawan were gifts by the Sultan of Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu in 1658 that became the properties of the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu in 1658 to this day. Sabah was illegally and unlawfully occupied by Malaysia since 1963 without the consent of the lawful owners namely the Sultan of Sulu and the good people of the Sultanate of Sulu.

It is the stated policy of the Sultanate of Sulu and its beloved people to recover Sabah from the illegal occupation of Malaysia .

Fake Sultans & Impostors

Since the death of the 34th Sultan, HM Sultan Mahakuttah Abdulla Kiram in 1986, many impostors and fake sultans of Sulu and Sabah without rights installed themselves “sultans” because of greed and personal vested interests. These fake sultans want to make money out of the Sabah issue and to claim the deposited assets of the late Sultan of Sulu and Sabah in foreign banks.

We are duty-bound to expose these fake sultans to right the wrong, as these impostors are not related to the Royal Kiram blood line of succession of the Royal House of Sulu and Sabah and/ or the Royal Kiram Sultans, as they are not the male heirs and direct descendants of and are not lawful successors to the late HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I (33rd Sultan of Sulu and Sabah 1947 to 1973) and they are never proclaimed as Sultan by the Royal Datus and the Sharifs of Sulu and Sabah.

To be the Sultan of the Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah, the successor must belong to the Royal Kiram blood line of succession as male heir and direct descendant of the late HM Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I, and that the Proclamation of the Royal Datus and the Sharifs of Sulu and Sabah as “Sultan” must be fulfilled and secured. As a vital part of the Law of Succession of the Royal House of Sulu and Sabah that the successor must have at least five (5) ancestors who were consecutive Sultans of Sulu and Sabah.

HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, the True & Legitimate Sultan

Only HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, the 35th Sultan, fulfilled these three (3) sacred, vital and necessary requirements of the Royal Law of Succession of the Kingly Family of Sulu and Sabah.

In 2008, the Sultanate of Sulu is 603 years old, and for 185 years the Sultan of Sulu and Sabah since 1823 was a direct heir of the Kiram Royal Sultans from the time HM Sultan Jamalul Kiram I ascended to the throne of Sulu and Sabah (he was the great ancestor of HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I and the primogenitor of the unbroken lineage of the Royal Kiram Family of the Royal House of Sulu and Sabah that exists to this day).

Official Policy: Reject Terrorism & Peaceful Co-Existence

The Vision and Official Policy of HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I wherein all activities of the Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah are based: “We Reject Terrorism and Pursue Peaceful Co-Existence with others through Peace, Unity, Harmony and Stability in the Sultanate, the Philippines and other parts of the world.”

This website will help clear the many misconceptions and problems created by the stolen sovereignty of and the arbitrary annexation without people’s consent of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah, by the many impostors and fake sultans, and the illegal occupation of Sabah by Malaysia . Please browse through all the information presented and do not forget to inform your family members and friends to visit us also.

Our dearly beloved good people of Sabahan and descendants of great and brave Tausug warriors living in Sabah and to the members of the Sabah Pro-Independence Movement who made representations and met our Royal Cabinet Ministers earlier on!

Assalamu Alaikum!

This is a special message of greetings and best wishes to the good people of Sabah and to our Beloved Tausug descendants who are sons and daughters of valiant, loyal and courageous Tausug warriors known throughout history as defenders of the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah, the “Unconquered Kingdom”, who never yielded and never surrendered to the invasion and conquest of Spain.

Sabah and Palawan were gifts by the Sultan of Brunei to the Sultan of Sulu in 1658 when the Sultan of Sulu gave military assistance to quell the rebellion on the island of Borneo by sending Panglima Illijji as commander of the Tausug expeditionary force numbering over 2,500 battle-tested troops against the Spaniards.

Panglima Illijji (the great ancestor of Datu Prof. Dr. Hadji Nur P. Misuari) and other Tausug warriors from Tapul and Parang, Sulu performed his duties brilliantly that made Sabah and Palawan annexed to the Sulu crown and properties of the Sultanate of Sulu to this day.

In 1878, the royal father of the grandfather of HM Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, HM Sultan Jamalul Ahlam Kiram, rented Sabah to a British company with the provisions that it could not be transferred to any person, company or nation without the consent of the Sultan of Sulu.

The British took over Malaya and Sabah and continued to pay the rent for Sabah to the Sultan of Sulu. The British left Malaya and Sabah in 1962 but instead of returning the Sabah property to the Sultan of Sulu, it was illegally transferred to Malaysia without the consent of the Sultan of Sulu.

IN 1963, MALAYSIA ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED SABAH TO THIS DAY. It was said that a referendum was held for the people of Sabah to join Malaysia but this referendum was unfair and unlawful because Malaysia did not inform and did not give any opportunity to the owners of Sabah namely the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu to present their side as landowners of Sabah before and during the said referendum.

Therefore, this referendum being unilateral and one-sided was unlawful and null and void ab initio and had no effect on the land ownership of the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultanate of Sulu over Sabah. Sabah is still the property of the Sultan and the Sultanate of Sulu to this day.

His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, The Sultan of Sulu & The Sultan of Sabah, Head of the Sultanate and Head of Islam in the Sultanate of Sulu & Sabah, along with the Royal Family and the Royal Cabinet, support A FREE AND INDEPENDENT SABAH under a Parliamentary Monarchy whereby Members of Parliament are elected by the people of Sabah provided, howsoever, that a free and independent Sabah will be under the reign of His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I and his successors according to law of succession as King of Sabah.

In this proposal, the King of Sabah will reign and the Sabah Parliament will rule and administer services beneficial to all the people of Sabah.

This proposal will finally resolve the age-old recovery problem of Sabah because the Sultan of Sulu & The Sultan of Sabah as lawful owner has agreed with this compromise solution that will be a win-win position to everyone concerned.

This also means that the resources of Sabah and its gross domestic product, as well as the nearly 1 million barrels of oil pumped per day in Sabah, amounting to USD100 Billion per year, will be utilized for social and economic developments of the beloved people of Sabah. As per energy report, Sabah contains over 70% of oil reserves of Malaysia today but with this reality, Malaysia (a Muslim nation), dispossessed their Muslim brothers and sisters of their Sabah property without just compensation. This act of Malaysia is Un-Islamic and against the law of Allah and must be rejected by good peoples and the international community of nations.

It is, however, necessary that Sabah assists in the much needed social and economic developments of their underprivileged Muslim brothers and sisters in the Sultanate of Sulu and of Mindanao.

This compromise solution is agreed to by His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I to resolve the Sabah recovery issue by peaceful means.

Eventually, once this proposal is well-received and welcomed by the good poeple of Sabah, they will then become the masters of their own destiny and the masters of their resources in Sabah worth over USD100 Billion per year, with said resources now siphoned off to Kuala Lumpur.

We pray the good people of Sabah will act on this once in a lifetime opportunity to resolve the Sabah recovery issue by peaceful means. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar!!!

Philippines—The Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo Sabah on Saturday declared it would assert its property rights over Sabah North Borneo regardless of the unresolved territorial dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia. Sultan Esmail Dalus Kiram II said he had entered into an agreement with foreign companies to develop Sabah, especially its oil and gas, to press his proprietary rights. In a speech at the Manila Pavilion Hotel in Manila, the sultan said, “I am getting old and the wait is too long and so I decided to sign a development contract with some legitimate foreign companies to develop our property.” He said he had sent copies of the contract to the Malaysian prime minister to inform him “that we mean to exercise our rights as stipulated by the British high court of Borneo (in 1939).” Sabah was leased to the British North Borneo Co. in 1878 by the Sultanate of Sulu but it was made part of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 after the British granted it independence. The Philippines’ pending claim to Sabah is dormant at this time but Kuala Lumpur continues to pay yearly rent to the sultan. The sultan’s son and royal commerce secretary, Abdula Kiram, explained that “we will exercise ownership regardless of which government owns [Sabah North Borneo].” He said they will not question the sovereignty issue because it is “complicated.” The younger Kiram lamented the measly US$1,000 Malaysia pays in annual rent for Sabah compared to the US$10-12 billion annual income the territory generates for the Malaysian government. In the same forum, the sultan said they will tap private security agencies to maintain law and order in Sulu. He said, “The Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo Sabah has decided to tap quasi-government security and peacekeeping agencies